Everything you need to get started with the Android SDK, and everything you need to know about installing it.
nstalling the Android SDK
is far easier than it used to be, thanks to a new package from Google.
One download gives you most everything you need to communicate with your
phone via the USB port, using tools like adb and fastboot.
Let's begin.....
1. Getting started with the Android SDK
I told you this was pretty easy, and that there was just one file to
download. Here it is. Download the SDK direct from Google by clicking here.
Scroll down a bit and find the section marked "SDK Tools Only" and save
it somewhere easy to get to, like your desktop. We'll be extracting it
to a better location in the next step.
The file you downloaded is compressed. You'll need to be familiar
with compressed files — and extracting them — to go any further. If
you're not, stop here and spend the time to learn about them.
Extract your compressed file into the following location:
- Windows: The root of your C: drive
- OS X: Your home folder
- Linux: Your home folder
Rename the extracted folder to "Android". This will make the rest of this guide, and your time with the SDK, much easier.
2. Prerequisites
You'll need a working version of Sun Java to run the SDK components.
Advanced users may try alternatives like Open Java, but for this guide
we're sticking with the official Sun Java from Oracle. Yes, that Oracle.
On a Mac, it's pretty easy because you'll already have it installed
unless you uninstalled it. If you did, install it again — you should
know how.
On Windows, head to the Oracle website
and download the correct version (32- or 64-bit) for your computer.
Again, if this gives you any trouble stop what you're doing and learn a
bit more about your computer. If you can't install Java, maybe you're
not yet ready to use the Android SDK.
On a Linux computer, you'll also need to install Sun Java from Oracle. You can find x86 and x64 binaries at the Java website.
If you need more assistance, or want to use a package manager to
install Java, you'll need to refer to the documentation for your
particular distro.
Linux users will also have to make sure they have some 32-bit
libraries installed if they are running a 64-bit version of the
operating system. If you're using Ubuntu or an other Debian variant, install ncurses5 and stdc++6 through your terminal:
sudo apt-get install lib32ncurses5 lib32stdc++6
Packages for other distros, like SlackWare or Fedora should be
available as well. See the documentation for your particular distro.
3. Setting your PATH
The PATH variable in your computer's operating system tells it where
to look when you want to run a command from a terminal or the command
line. For example, to run the adb command you either need to type and
provide the complete path — ie the folder adb is actually in, inside the
SDK folder — or have the location set in the PATH variable itself. It's
a bit confusing, but the good news is that doing it is easier than
explaining it.
For these directions to work, you will have to have extracted and
renamed the SDK download folder as mentioned above, and to the correct
location for this tutorial.
4. On Windows
You no longer can set the PATH in the autoexec.bat file or autoexec.nt file. You'll need to update the system Environment Variable settings instead. Here's how it's done on a Windows 8 machine:
- Hit the Start key on your Keyboard.
- Start typing the words Environment Variables.
- As you type, you'll see the choice to Edit the system environment variables. Choose it.
- In the Environment Variables window, select the PATH line item in the Systems Variables section, then click the Edit button.
Add the full path to the Android SDK tools and Android SDK
platform-tools folders in the edit box, separated by a semi-colon. It
should look something like this:
C:\Android\tools;C:\Android\platform-tools
For older versions of Windows, refer to the documentation that came
with your computer for assistance on setting the PATH. And, again: If
you've installed your sdk somewhere other than \Android, you'll need to
adjust accordingly.
5. On OS X
You can set your PATH variable on a machine running OS X in your bash profile. Doing so is easy, and is all done in one file.
In your Home folder is a file named .bash_profile. Open it with any text editor.
You may see a blank file, or it may be full of other information. All
we need to do is add a couple lines to the top of the file:
export PATH="$HOME/Android/tools:$PATH"
export PATH="$HOME/Android/platform-tools:$PATH"
(Did we mention that if your SDK is in another location, you'll need to adjust things accordingly? Good.)
Save the file, and reboot your computer so the new PATH is sourced properly.
6. On Linux
Setting the PATH on a Linux computer is almost the same as on a Mac, you just edit a different file.
Using your favorite text editor, open the ~/.bashrc file. It will
probably exist and have multiple entries. If you get an error that the
file does not exist, simply create a new file and save it as ~/.bashrc
when finished.
You'll want to add the following two lines to the END of the .bashrc file:
export PATH="$HOME/Android/tools:$PATH"
export PATH="$HOME/Android/platform-tools:$PATH"
Save the file, and reboot your computer so the new PATH is sourced properly.
7. Wrapping it up
If you made it this far, you have successfully installed the Android
SDK and can now use tools like adb and fastboot. Pat yourself on the
back and have a frosty beverage. We're going to talk a lot more about
how to use these tools in future articles, as well as making sure your
phone is ready to go and connected.
Your Android is your oyster, and you'll need no sword to open it.
